Have you ever stopped to think about why you create art, specifically masks?
For me masks have a transformative secret to them. Give someone a mask, and on stage, they can tell no lies. It’s a rare thing in this world, almost mystical in its power. Masks bring out the best in people, teaching us so much about ourselves. For those of us who create masks, they guide us on an introspective journey that is as deep as the ocean and as infinite as space.
I’ve been making masks for 30 years and am still discovering their power as theatrical tools. Masks have helped me grow as a person, connecting me to cultures around the world and their mask-creators, their traditions, to history, and science. They have given me the legs to stand in front of hundreds of people to express my deepest inner truths and vulnerabilities. Masks allow me to communicate without words, and my passion for mask creation and teaching fills my life with joy.
Masks have given me so much, dear readers and fellow creatives. They have given me the strength to stand in front of hundreds of people and tell stories. They have been my closest friend in my darkest times, unlocking many doors to creative opportunities to collaborate with other artists around the world, to work in the movie industry, and with some of the best theatre companies in the world.
Most of all, masks have given me confidence in myself and the ability to express my unique point of view of the world. Of course, there have been times when people’s criticism and feedback have caught me off guard. Early in my mask-making journey, some people had visceral reactions to my work, which sometimes included rude comments and, occasionally, even the destruction of my creations. I have come to appreciate all feedback, both good and bad. Even unwelcome criticism doesn’t bother me. When people react to my work, it tells me volumes about who they are. I’ve learned that people can only meet art in my case my masks as profoundly as they’ve met themselves.
Creating art is a journey of connecting with yourself and others around you. Some get it, and some don’t. Those who don’t just need to look deeper inward, and the world will open up to them as it has to me.
Over the years, I’ve had the rare privilege of seeing the profound impact masks can have on healing, nurturing and fostering creativity. One of the most significant experiences was working in the Northern bush communities and in the Arctic with kids in the Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut. My workshops brought kids back into classrooms, helping people to heal troubled and weary hearts in communities that have been rebuilding themselves after surviving intergenerational trauma from the fallout of the residential schools that harmed so many of my fellow brothers and sisters.
Working with Indigenous people all over Turtle Island (Canada) has shown me the resilience of the human spirit. These people have helped me grow into a better person along my healing journey. In Calgary, I worked with unhoused people, helping them reclaim their voices and identities and reminding people that everyone has stories to share and gifts to bring to the world.
Masks have grounded me, seeing me through struggles with deep depression, dyslexia, weight issues, and all the hardships that come with life. Masks have sustained me, housed and been a constant source of inspiration. My passion for masks gives me the strength and courage to engage with the world.
If you’re struggling to see the value in work, I say this: Look at your work and yourself in a mirror. Say everything you want to hear about your work from your harshest critic. Smile, laugh, and always be kind to yourself. Life is too short to worry about what others think of your work. After all, they are just meeting art as deeply as they have met themselves. Maybe your work has helped them on their journey to meeting themselves.
Your art as a mask maker has value and a place in this world. It’s not always easy to put your work out there for all to see and critique, but remember why you make art. Trust in your work and love what you create. Those who cherish your masks will find you. Art will make you strong on the inside, and those who understand your work will resonate with it.
Keep creating, believing, and sharing your unique gifts with the world. Your masks can transform, heal, and connect us all.
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